I'm Here For You
by Immortal Bitch
Summary: /ONE-SHOT/ After the war, Draco is shunned by the majority of Hogwarts for being a 'death eater'. Ron decides to cause some trouble with his old enemy. Will Hermione come to Draco's rescue? /Post War. Eighth Year. Draco x Hermione. Dumbledore didn't die/


**I'm Here For You.**

*******This is my first ever head canon, so feedback would be highly appreciated! I had a lot of fun writing this fic seeing as I love Dramione, (It's my OTP). I hope ou enjoy it! -Immortal Bitch***

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Draco Malfoy walked down the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry alone, a mere shadow of his former, arrogant self. It's been 6 months since the Battle of Hogwarts came to a close, the light side victorious. Ever since then, people looked down on the former Slytherin Prince in disgust.

The only reason he was back at the dreaded school was because he had no where else to go. His father, found guilty of being a follower of the Dark Lord, was ordered to be given the Dementor's Kiss. Draco turned his head that day, only to be surrounded by the screams of the pitiful man whom he once idolized.

After that incident, his mother Narcissa Malfoy, committed suicide, not wanting to live in a world without her husband. Draco never quite understood why his mother always went back to the bastard, Narcissa had once told him it was love that made her stay. She fell in love with a intelligent, compassionate man named Lucius Malfoy and they had gotten married. She didn't find out until later that he was associated with the Dark Lord. Since then, he had started to change, he would not treat her with the same respect he once did, as if she was lower than him. Her friends would constantly tell her to leave him, that she deserved better but she would not listen to them. Narcissa always believed that somehow, somewhere deep inside of Lucius Malfoy, there was that same caring man that she had married so many years ago.

Draco shook his head at the prospect. There was not a shred of kindness in the man he had once called his father, he had a hard time believing that there ever was.

Draco had been spared from a sentence in Azkaban thanks to one man, Albus Dumbledore. That night in the Astronomy Tower was probably the worst night Draco could recall. He remembered when he had gotten his first mission from the Dark Lord, how happy he had been that he had been chosen above others, to carry out this task. However, Draco blanched when he was told his mission and who he'd have to kill. Draco had always respected Albus Dumbledore and the thought of killing the old man made him sick to the stomach.

That night when Draco had his wand pointed at his headmaster with the intention of killing him was not something he was very proud of, but when Dumbledore had spoken to him that night, and given him a way out of his mess, he had gladly taken it. Dumbledore sheltered Draco from his father and the death eaters and for that, he was forever grateful.

In the Battle of Hogwarts, Draco did as much as he could to assist the light side without being seen, that was what Dumbledore told the Ministry to support Draco in his trial. In the end, Draco had been given freedom, with some restrictions, he was not allowed to venture outside of Hogwarts for the remainder of the school year, and he was to stay in house arrest for two months after school finished.

The Slytherins had lost respect for their once great Draco Malfoy after hearing that he failed his mission with Voldemort and had hidden away like a coward during the war. Of course that wasn't what had happened, rumours sometimes get out of hand and Draco couldn't be bothered telling them differently.

So, he was now an outcast, nobody making a effort to talk to him or acknowledge him. Draco liked it better like that, nothing to remind him of what he did, what he had almost done.

"Oi Malfoy!"

Draco sighed mentally, he recognized the loud and obnoxious voice. Slowly he turned around to see the smirking face of Ron Weasley. Draco never really liked the guy, for obvious reasons. Firstly, he was best friends with the Golden Boy, Harry Potter, which immediately put the weasel on his hate list, and secondly, he's a prat. That might sound very unfair coming from the selfish Slytherin himself but it was true. Ever since the defeat of Voldemort, the weasel had gotten a lot of fame and fortune very quickly, too quickly perhaps, it seemed to all go to his head and ego. Ron now treated everyone like they were lower than him, like they praised the ground he walked on. Draco chuckled at the thought. Ron glared.

"What's so funny, Malfoy?" Ron spat angrily, Draco just smirked.

"Nothing of your concern, Weasel." This made Ron laugh.

"I wouldn't be acting so haughty, Ferret, you might find yourself...out numbered and defenseless." Now it was Draco's turn to laugh.

"Out numbered and defenseless? Against you?" Draco scoffed, Ron smirked.

"No." He made a gesture and two figures stepped out from the shadows to his left. By the colours of their robes, he figured they were from Gryffindor.

"Against us." Draco faltered slightly, he was a good dueler and knew a few good hexes, but would that be enough to save himself from three, angry Gryffindors that were out for blood? Never the less, Draco pulled out his wand to defend himself from the threat.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco's wand flew out of his hand and into Ron's who then handed it back to one of the Gryffindors. Draco just stood there, shocked. Never in his whole life had the weasel ever beaten him in a duel, even if it was an unfair one.

"You shouldn't have messed with us, Malfoy." Ron raised his wand, ready to hex him as Draco closed his eyes and waited for the pain.

**"STOP! DON'T YOU DARE RONALD WEASLEY!"** called out a high pitched voice. Slowly, Draco opened his eyes to see wavy, soft brown tresses ahead of him. The body it belonged to stood in front of him, arms out, set to protect, to protect him.

"Hermione! What the bloody hell are you doing?" Ron yelled angrily as he lowered his wand and glared at the woman in front of him. _'Hermione? Granger? Why is she protecting me... from him?'_ Draco thought to himself. His thinking was cut off by the same woman currently invading his thoughts.

"Stopping you from making an idiotic mistake like you always do!" Ron's cheeks flamed scarlet red, almost matching his hair. Hermione continued.

"You have no right to attack a defenseless wizard, that's low, even for you." Ron spluttered angrily.

**"LIKE HE HASN'T DONE IT BEFORE! HE HAD ME SPEWING SLUGS FOR HOURS IN SECOND YEAR!"** he bellowed. I smiled at the thought, those were good times.

"No, you had yourself spewing slugs for hours, that hex was done with your own wand and your own hand!" Ron's face turned redder than before, which Draco didn't think was possible. Again, no answer was heard from the weasel.

"Yes, Draco may have done something like this before but back then, you both were looking for a fight, now it's just you! In fact, I haven't seen him try to harass you since last year! Hermione stated. Ron just looked at the ground sheepishly.

"10 points from Gryffindor for attempting to harm an unarmed wizard." Both Draco's and Ron's jaws dropped open. _'She would take points off her own house... just for me?'_ Draco thought, surprised.

"You can't do that! I didn't ev-"

"Yes I can. I'm head girl, I can deduct as many points from any house I wish if they deserve it! Now, If you don't shut your mouth and head to your dormitory right now, I will deduct another 20!" Ron quickly shoved his wand into his pocket and turned to leave, not before shooting Draco an ice cold glare. One of the Gryffindors reluctantly threw Draco's wand back to Hermione and followed after Ron.

Hermione sighed and turned to face Draco.

"I'm sorry about that, are you alright?"_ 'Sorry!'_ Draco thought, _'She just saved me from having to spend a very painful night in the infirmary and she's sorry!'_ Draco didn't say that though.

"I'm fine.." A few awkward moments pass between them before Draco speaks up.

"Thank you, f-for helping me, Grang- ...er Hermione" He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. She smiles.

"Don't mention it, sometimes Ron can be a right git!" Hermione scowls and Draco laughs. Hermione gives him a surprised look. He looks back at her with a questioning look.

"Uhh, it's just well, I've never heard you laugh before.." She stutters truthfully. Draco smiles as she blushes and looks away.

"I don't have many things to laugh about nowadays." Hermione's eyes meet his and he notices the look she gives him. He sighs.

"Please don't look at me like that, not with sympathy.." Draco takes a deep breath. "People like me, they don't deserve sympathy.." He looks away ashamed. Hermione gives him an incredulous look.

"No, don't say that.. everyone deserves sympathy, even you, Draco." Hermione places a hand on his shoulder. Draco looks to it in surprise. This is the first time in months that someone has talked to him like this. "You're not a bad person, Draco." Draco 's eyes meet Hermione's and he feels tears start to well up in his eyes.

Hermione sees this and wraps her arms around his shoulders, she holds him tight and strokes his platinum blond hair as warm tears roll down his anguished face. Silent sobs rack his body as he cries into Hermione's shoulder. He cries for his father, even though he was bastard, Draco can still remember a time when he wasn't. He remembered the first time he flew a broom, his father was there to catch him when he fell. He remembered his father reading books to him as he fell into a blissful sleep. He remembered watching his mother come down the stairs in her beautiful dress, his father wrapping his arms around her, telling her how lucky he was to have such a beautiful soul mate.

Draco cried for his mother, the one person who truly understood him, the one person who comforted him when he was upset at father, the one person who helped him grow up into the young man he was today. He cried for them.

Hermione stood with him, not letting go until she heard his heart-wrenching cries no more. She pulled back to look at his tear stained face, his eyes, not filled with the cold and malice she was accustomed to, but instead, filled with sorrow and regret.

Draco watched Hermione study him. He didn't care that she had just seen him break down in front of her, he felt comfortable in her presence, safe. Her soft, doe eyes, warm and welcoming, her luscious, wavy, golden brown hair, falling to mid back, her full lips, heart shaped and inviting.

His eyes leave her lips and focus on her eyes, staring back at him. He watches as her eyes dart down to his lips and back up, she bites her own, softly. Draco slowly leans down to where they're only a breath away. He looks to her eyes again, awaiting confirmation. She tilts her head up and captures his lips with her own.

Draco's eyes slowly shut in pleasure as he moves his lips in sync with hers. Her arms reach up around his neck, pulling him more forcefully to her. He responds by placing one hand on the small of her back, the other, winding itself in her soft hair.

They break apart for air. Draco leans his forehead against Hermione's as she studies his silver eyes, clouded with lust. He pulls back and whispers.

"I love you, Granger."

"I love you too, Malfoy"

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